TLC’s Wistful Ballad ‘Meant to Be’ Is Comeback Comfort Food

R&B legends return with Ne-Yo penned first single since 2005

This is the year of TLC’s revival. The Atlanta R&B duo — which was, of course, a trio before the 2002 death of member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes — is the subject of the upcoming VH1 movie Crazysexycool: The TLC Movie(which airs October 21), is featured on J. Cole’s single “Crooked Smile,” and will be releasing a compilation of hits titled 20, out October 15. The latter set also features their first new song since 2005, a breezy acoustic ballad called “Meant to Be” in the vein of classic singles like “Unpretty” and “Diggin’ On You.”

Written by Ne-Yo, the song isn’t an attempt to re-enter the zeitgeist (like their last comeback single “Come Get Some”). Instead it understands the strengths of remaining members T-Boz and Chili, emphasizing their instantly recognizable vocals in a template that longtime fans are accustomed to. Mirroring the positive vibes surrounding the duo’s re-emergence into pop culture, the song easily strikes an uplifting chord: “All you gotta do is turn around / And you’ll find me right there / Holding you up, holding you down.”

The tracklist for 20 is below, and thankfully it doesn’t feature Drake as prevously rumored.